I'm Only Me When I'm With You
by CookiesPlusCream
Summary: After Gus leaves, Carmen and Johnny grow closer...however, several kids in the DG have problems with that...Johnny/Carmen.
1. Chapter 1

"Bye Gus. It's going to be fine." Carmen said as she hugged him. She pulled away to smile, before heading back towards the house. However, as Johnny moved forward to say goodbye, Carmen waited for him.

Johnny began to walk back towards the house and spotted Carmen waiting for him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He put an arm round her, and she put an arm round him too, and they headed back into the house.

"It's going to be so different without him here." Carmen said, as they sat on the sofa together.

"Yeah, it is." Johnny agreed. "But…I'm happy he got fostered."

"I thought you didn't like gay couples?" Carmen said. "I'm happy, too." She said.

"I was wrong…and I'm sorry, for being a bit…smug when Lily agreed with me." Johnny said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't the first time." Carmen teased, and Johnny reached over to tickle her.

She began to squirm and giggle and beg for mercy. Johnny stopped with a grin.

"You are so evil, Johnny Taylor." Carmen said, getting up.

"Come on, let's go eat lunch." He said.

As if on cue, Gina screamed. "LUNCH!"

Carmen and Johnny laughed, before walking down to lunch together.


	2. Chapter 2

The lunch table bustled with chatting, talking about Gus and why they wouldn't miss him.

Carmen rolled her eyes as Jody said Gus was 'the most annoying boy ever'. "Yeah, but you're the most annoying girl ever." She pointed out, making the kids laugh.

"Then what are you?" Jody asked, but of course they were joking.

Suddenly, Frank spoke up. "Let's go bowling!" he said, putting a hand on Mike's shoulder.

"Why?" Faith asked.

"That's what we do when one of us is sad." Frank replied.

Everyone grinned and got up, grabbing their coats.

Carmen let the bowling ball fly from her hand, rolling towards the pins. She managed to get a strike, causing the kids on her team to clap.

"Hey, I'm going to get a drink." She said, and she took some her money, before heading off.

As she paid for a milkshake and turned to walk back to the alley where her friends were, she suddenly stopped dead.

It was her mum, and her boyfriend, Lee. They were at the alley talking to Mike. Mike seemed to be arguing with them.

Carmen's breathing became heavier. Mike's eyes fell onto her and Helen spun round. She began to walk towards Carmen, Lee and Mike close behind. Carmen suddenly reacted. She threw the milkshake towards them.

It landed on Lee, exploding over him, splashing little bits on Helen.

Lee's face suddenly turned furious. Carmen could feel her heart hammering against her chest as he stepped in front of her. His hand reached out and she turned, beginning to run.

She ran in between a huge crowd, before escaping out of the back door. The door slammed behind her, and she slid down the wall, staring into space.

"Carmen?" Johnny kneeled in front of her. Her face was wet with tears and she was soaked through, since it was raining.

She looked up at him, and suddenly Carmen hugged him tightly. Johnny was surprised, but he hugged her back.

Maybe it was just because he was there, neither of them could tell, but it was comforting her either way.

Johnny helped her to her feet, leading her inside. Helen was still there, and she stormed up to her daughter as Carmen and Johnny approached.

"Lee left!" Helen exploded. "And it's your entire fault!" she said, pointing her finger at Carmen.

"Why are you here?!" Carmen shouted. "I don't want to see you, I hate you!"

Helen suddenly slapped Carmen's face, causing the latter to stumble back, shocked and holding her cheek.

Everyone was staring at Carmen and Helen, not just from Elm Tree House, but everybody in the bowling building had frozen.

"Sweetie…I…" Helen tried.

"No." Johnny said suddenly, putting an arm round Carmen's shoulders; she was crying silently again. "Don't bother." He continued, before leading Carmen outside, followed by the rest of the kids.

The whole trip home, Carmen sat with her head on Johnny's shoulder and her hand gripping Tee's.

"She's never hit me before."


	3. Chapter 3

By the next day, Carmen had calmed down, but she had made it very clear that she didn't want to talk about what happened.

"Right, now listen up guys." Mike said. "Gina and I have some problems to deal with tonight, so we're leaving you all here, with Faith in charge."

"We should only be a couple of hours, yeah?" Gina said.

The kids grinned at one another. Well, this was going to be fun.

As soon as Mike and Gina left, though, hell broke loose.

Everyone slowly but surely began to fight. Tee and Carmen were arguing over not talking about bowling last night, and everyone else was just kind of fighting around them.

Suddenly Tee grabbed Carmen by the arms and threw her, making Carmen squeak in surprise as she slammed onto the ground.

Tee's sudden outburst of "YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY!" made everyone fall silent, and register the fact that Carmen was on the floor, staring up at Tee.

"What did you do, Tee?!" Johnny asked, helping Carmen up.

"I…I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me…" Tee said, looking shocked.

Carmen, however, seemed to have come to her senses; she pounced as Tee and sent her crashing to the ground with a smack.

Carmen let her hand fly across Tee's cheek, before she stormed off. However, she turned back.

"Just because she's not like your mum doesn't mean she's any worse!" Carmen said, before rushing off. They vaguely heard the slamming of her door.

Tee got to her feet, close to tears. She looked around at everyone.

"Well done, Tee." Elektra said angrily, before going after Carmen.

Carmen made sure her door was barricaded before flopping onto her bed.

"_I promise sweetie, I'll never leave you."_

"_I love you, Mum."_

"_Carmen, I'm so sorry…"_

"_I love you, sweetheart."_

"_No, you don't!"_

"_Why are you here?! I don't want to see you, I hate you!"_

"_Well, don't hate me, but…your mum's still alive, and…you don't want to see her, when…I'd give anything to see my mum, but she's…y-you know…"_

"_No. Don't bother."_

"_Your mum probably didn't lock you up on your own in the house for a week just to go on holiday."_

"_YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY!"_

"_Carmen?"_

"_Lee left! And it's your entire fault!"_

"_Sweetie…I…"_

"_Leave me alone!"_

"_Mike…I'm going to agree to my mum's visit."_

"_Carmen deserves better! Way better."_

"_I hate her."_

A knock on Carmen's door and the rattling of the doorknob snapped the girl out of her memories. "Go away!" she shouted.

"Are you okay?" Elektra called.

"No! Now please leave me alone." Carmen said, softer.

She heard Elektra sigh, but then retreat.

Tee was right. Carmen couldn't run from her mum forever…not in this place.

_Not when they know where you are._

Carmen sat up, and suddenly grabbed the biggest backpack she could find. She threw in a lot of stuff; fresh clothes, underwear, things to do, her phone, her sleeping bag, blanket, blow up pillow…soon, the bag was full.

Carmen zipped the backpack up and slung it onto her back. She opened her window and attempted to climb down the drainpipe. It was fine until at the bottom, she heard a shout, lost her balance and fell hard onto her knees.

She heard people rushing out, so she stood up and ran as fast as she could, away from Elm Tree House.

"CARMEN!" Johnny was calling after her.

Carmen turned back. She could see them still running, but they were too far away to catch her.

She waved, to Johnny mostly. "I'm so so sorry!" she called, before turning and running away from Elm Tree House.

She didn't want her mother to find her again.


End file.
